Until my early 20’s, rose and lavender are two flavors that I was only familiar with in regards to soap…I never dreamt of eating them.
And then one summer when I was taking a class on international mediation and arbitration in Europe for law school, I happened on the prettiest little sachet of Herbs de Provence in the south of France.
If you’re not familiar Herbs de Provence, it’s a very fragrant dried herb mix with ingredients like rosemary, thyme, savory, and lavender. Even in my pre-food blogging days, I was a sucker for unique herb blends and pretty packaging; I couldn’t resist buying one. Or three, if I’m being honest. ;)
I also discovered rose and lavender-flavored candy in France, which is strangely pleasant in its own flowery way. Then when I married Mike and delved into Middle Eastern cuisine, I was introduced to the elegance of rose-flavored sweets in the form of rose and orange blossom-scented syrups, puddings, cakes, and other confections. That’s how I was inspired to make rose-flavored white tea into gelatin.
Delicate white tea combined with rose is such a lovely, feminine floral combination, and sweet-tart raspberries brighten everything up with their bursts of fresh flavor. But if you can’t find this particular type of tea, you can just use regular white tea with a couple drops of rosewater.
If you’ve never tried your hand at homemade gelatin (as opposed to a box of JELL-O), you won’t believe how easy it is to make…you might never go for that fake-flavored stuff again! And because this subtly floral-scented treat is such a pretty dessert and can be made ahead of time, I think it would be perfect to serve for Mother’s Day.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mothers-to-be! xoxo
- 1½ cups red raspberries
- 1½ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or sugar (more or less to taste)
- 1 bag rose white tea (I used Numi Organic White Rose Tea)
- Divide the raspberries between 4 individual juice glasses or small bowls.
- Add the gelatin to a separate small bowl and sprinkle the cold water on top. Stir to combine and let it sit for 3 minutes so the gelatin can absorb the water.
- Stir the honey or sugar into the boiling water. Add the tea bag and steep for 5 minutes, then stir in the gelatin.
- Pour the gelatin liquid into the dishes with the raspberries and transfer to the fridge to set completely, about 2 hours.
- Serve chilled. You can add a dollop of whipped cream on top of each to make this more indulgent.
Here are a few other beautiful treats featuring red raspberries that would also be perfect for Mother’s Day:
Cheesecake Tart with Fresh Raspberries from Baked by Rachel
Raspberry Brownie Cookies from Family Fresh Cooking
Raspberry Crisp from The Pioneer Woman
Raspberry Frozen Yogurt from Cooking Light
Raspberry Sauce from No Recipes
Disclosure: I received the Numi Organic White Rose Tea that I used in this recipe for free. I was under no obligation to blog about it, and as always, opinions stated are my own.
Joanne says
When rose is added to things in a dainty and not overpowering way, it can be SO good. Definitely underappreciated. I love how you basically made your own fancy jello!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
I was the very same about rose and lavender, but now I love the hint of floral that they add to so many things edible! This recipe looks so intriguing!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
So elegant! I've never cooked with tea before, but have been seeing it more and more, and now I'm convinced I need to try it. Beautiful.